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Topic: Dangerous play (Read 98 times)

To have a bear by the tail seems to be rather a captivating practice, though quite a risky one. It appears to be totally missed on the NATO bureaucrats who keep twisting the Russian bear's tail with rare obstinacy indeed, while entering yet another stage of their big enlargement game. For instance, as of the current winter end, they plan to embrace Macedonia, the country that used to be a part of former Yugoslavia and presently has got the prime-minister intensely patronized by the Albanian warlords engaged in drug trade. Naturally, such a country may be seen as a really vital element now for the so called 'Positive Alliance'. And tender tickling of the ruling elites' ambitions in Sweden and Finland, along with their active involvement into NATO activities, has already transformed those previously neutral states into not just NATO allies but its de facto participants.

However the focus of special NATO attention is on the Baltic countries presently. Firstly, regular spectacular parades and torch-light processions with the participation of Waffen SS veterans are conducted there. Secondly, the quickest and most sensible strike in the direction of Russia may be launched exactly from the territory of the Baltic states, for, say, NATO dislocation in Estonia is only 300 km away from Saint-Petersburg and 600 km from Moscow. The most vivid illustration of the preparations to such a strike is Amari air base in Estonia. The base may be employed both for deployment of aviation vehicles to carry nuclear weapons and for hosting the arriving transport planes from Western Europe and the USA. Infrastructure for ground forces is being developed too at the base already having more than 1 500 NATO servicemen. The enlargement of the firing range is also underway. All these facts add more meat to the perspective of Amari becoming the key USA and NATO base in the Baltic countries. Pentagon budget for 2018 dedicates $200 million to build and upgrade airbases in Latvia, Hungary, Norway, Romania, and Slovakia.

In continuation of the armaments and military equipment deployment in Poland and Baltic states the NATO leadership has declared its intention to intensify preparations aimed at 'repelling military aggression' in 2018. Under this highly doubtful pretext, the alliance is to hold more military exercises, twice as many, if compared to 2017. According to the formal list, that has been already released, only during the first half of 2018 NATO countries are to hold as many as 80 military exercises (during the whole 2017 only 85 military maneuvers took place). It's worth noting that 20 of all the declared for the first half of 2018 exercises will be conducted on the lands of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, and 6 more in Ukraine.

The most massive exercises will be hosted by Lithuania (April 9-21, Hunter-2018 anti-tank exercises); by Poland, Lithuania and Latvia (March 22-April 22, Saber Junction 18 exercises); by Latvia (April 15-29, international exercises Summer Shield 18 with the ground forces' combat support units involvement). May and June are going to become the time of the most rigorous run-up to rebuke the alleged Russian aggression. Flaming Thunder-18 exercises in Lithuania are planned for this exactly period, as well as the air defense international maneuvers Baltic Zenith-18. In the wake of the first ones the interaction of artillery units and army warplanes in their joint fire support activities will be tested. During the same period of time Flaming Sword-18 exercises with the participation of NATO SOF (Special Operations Forces) units and the allied countries are to take place on the territory of Lithuania and Latvia. Massive exercises Saber Strike-18 involving NATO countries' servicemen are planned for June 4-22 in the Baltic region. They are going to become the heyday in the series of NATO military maneuvers in 2018.

Undoubtedly, Russians will have to react to this sort of militarist muscle-flexing in the vicinity of their western borders. Judging by the previous story with the deployment of the operational-tactical missile complexes Iskander in Kaliningrad and formation of new divisions on western direction, the response may turn to be quite tough and even excessive. All these things actually fit badly NATO slogans on European security.

Meanwhile, some experts voice the opinion according to which all those NATO actions pose no direct threat for Russia. The NATO grouping of 40 thousand servicemen can't be of any danger for more than 120 thousand soldiers of the units dispatched on the west of Russia. Thus, this aggressive conduct of NATO is a purely political move aimed at creating more economic hardships for Russia forced to spend more and more money on its national defense.

Well, you got this much right."Thus, this aggressive conduct of NATO is a purely political move aimed at creating more economic hardships for Russia forced to spend more and more money on its national defense. "

All precepts of war are political and war is failed politics.Truth is, Trump is playing a friendly game of chess with Russia, and there's nothing wrong with Russia whining when they get outmaneuvered.All Russia has to do is play nice, be a good neighbor and help bring peace to the M/E, ally with the US against China, and you'd be amazed what great allies we can be.No one wants war, and God knows, Russia can't afford one, so quit bitching and join us.